April 26- May 1

This blue jay was hanging onto Anne's finger upside down like a bat! What a goofball.
Look at the gorgeous bright blues on this jay.
One of Michelle's favorites :o) A field sparrow.

Based on the relatively low number of birds flying into our nets this week, it seems that many migrating birds have still not made it to Erie quite yet. But we did have some fun stuff happen this week.

On Tuesday while banding at Fry's Landing, we were visited by Erie Times reporter Dana Massing, along with photographer Jack Hanrahan and videographer Matt Mead. Our story made the front page of the Erie TImes newspaper on Saturday. Below are links to the different stories, pictures, and video taken that day.

video: http://goerie.com/section/video#vmix_media_id=13323805

Presque Isle bird banding article: http://news.tradingcharts.com/futures/9/1/139026019.html

warbler article: http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100501/NEWS02/304309895

pictures: http://reprints.goerie.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=991389&CategoryID=40643

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we were visited by Andrea Reinhardt, last years bird banding intern. We want to thank you for coming out Andrea! We truly enjoyed your company and your help was greatly appreciated.

On Thursday April 29 at Erie Bluffs, we witness HuuuugE flocks of migrating blue jays. We are talking hundreds of them. We caught 14 blue jays- which is more blue jays than caught the entire spring banding season last year. These birds are so cool in the hand. They are very intelligent and seem just as curious and interested in us as we are them. And those stunning blues- just gorgeous! There were so many blue jays in one place that at times it looked like there were blue leaves on the trees. It was a treat!

Also on Thursday, we caught a sharp-shinned shawk!!!!!! This was by far the coolest thing to happen to me EVER lol and in his honor I am giving him his whole own seperate blog coming next :o)

The summary of this week's captures are as follows:

April 26 @ Erie Bluffs SP: 0 birds total: Did not open nets due to rain.

April 27 @ Fry's Landing: 17 birds total: 1 western palm warbler, 1 myrtle warbler, 2 swamp sparrows, 9 white-throated sparrows, 2 song sparrow, 1 brown-headed cowbird, 1 brown thrasher.

April 28 @ Niagra Boat Launch: 8 birds total: 2 white-throated sparrow, 2 hermit thrush, 2 american robins, 1 brown thrasher, 1 song sparrow.

April 29 @ Erie Bluffs SP: 26 birds total= 1 house wren, 1 field sparrow, 1 dark-eyed junco, 6 white-throated sparrows, 1 hermit thrush, 1 northern cardinal, 14 blue jays, 1 sharp-shinned hawk.

April 30 @ Fry's Landing: 29 birds total: 2 ruby-crowned kinglets, 1 american redstart, 1 nashville warbler, 1 northern waterthrush, 1 eastern pheobe, 3 field sparrows, 2 lincoln sparrows, 1 house wren, 2 yellow warblers, 2 song sparrow, 10 white-throated sparrows, 1 brown-headed cowbird, 1 white-crowned sparrow, 1 brown thrasher.

May 1 @ Niagra Boat Launch: 9 birds total: 1 field sparrow, 4 yellow warblers, 2 american robins, 2 song sparrows.

We are looking forward to this next week, hoping that the birds will really start flying in!